Zaphael

Check that you are hooked up via datalink to the AWACs. You can usually obtain IFF indication via the Link 4. Otherwise, get Jester to set the radar scan range to 50 NMI, so that there is less airspace of contacts for him to interrogate.

Hey, at least our guns still work.

You almost never full retard a throttle to land the deck on the carrier. The DLC and the brakes are there to introduce drag and reduce lift so you keep your throttle in responsive region when landing. Find your onspeed AOA, get your lineup, and adjust DLC for glideslope. Only then you fine tune your throttle just a hair.

Would you be able to show a video of how that happened? As much as I find the Phoenix to be flying brick these days, its still a relatively fast brick - for a while. Other than over lofting, I have not encountered the issues you described. Perhaps with a video plus tacview file, it may be possible to see what happened. The only thing I can think off at the moment is the centroid being out of position, and the radar ends up scanning some useless part of the airspace instead of the target under attack.

Is the building your are targeting an active object? Or is it part of the map? If it's the latter you may need to manually cue the TGP via the head tracking and designate it.

I think you all are missing my point. My point is that these three factors are what is causing the Phoenixes to become a sub-par MRAAM and not the 40NM Fox 3 it was. Take away issues with the DCS engine+AI, or the AWG-9 quirks, e.g. in a Single player environment, the Phoenix does work well enough. And yes Doormouse I saw your twitch videos of those "Air Quake" games. I respect your ability to use the weapon system in such close quarters and low altitude. But as you say, most Tomcat BVR fights are a little higher and faster. And I am fully aware of that. Which brings back to the point that, it is not working out very well in multiplayer environments sometimes for the 3 factors mentioned. Plus when Jester is upset with me. Just pointing out my user experience that's all. And again, I reiterate. The DCS Tomcat module is amazing. I still fly it regularly, but I try to pick my fights where the environment is not too saturated to enhance my pK. As for the sources to my claims, I hate to say this, it would be too laborious to list out. I have to assume that most of us are Tomcat fanboys who have been following the F-14 Tomcast, Ward Carroll and Bio's videos regularly. There are many interesting things said, and unsaid, that pointed out to many impressive capabilities of the Tomcats and Phoenix.

In DCS, under 7 miles for a head-on-shot with the Sparrow. And if the target notches, its not going to make the shot. After the advent of AMRAAMS, and Fox 3 missiles, the only reason you shoot Sparrows is when you have nothing left. It is not a tactically viable option. The only possibly good reason to shoot a Sparrow is to distract the adversary to defend against a Sparrow shot with chaff and notching, while sneaking a sidewinder shot in.

I am not sure where these numbers are coming from, but I would take it with a pinch of salt. And the reason for that is that it is running against the accounts of actual RIOs and Pilots with regard the BVR Timeline from Fox 3 to A-Pole. Of course for good reason, they did not suggest what the pK at those ranges. I've been Tomcating in DCS for three years now, DCS for about eight. The Phoenix now feels slower than it has ever been before. And some of the guys are rightly point out that they are no longer lethal in BVR, and to some degree WVR. But there are three parts to the lethality problem. 1. The Phoenix now accelerates a lot slower than before, reducing its ability to reach higher speeds and altitudes. The motor can burn for 25 to 30 secs, but they don't get very far. This does not support the accounts of the tactics and employment ranges by the former RIO. 2. The second part is with the AI's uncanny sense of situational awareness. Their ability to detect a TWS launch and manuever against the missile is sage-like. Combined with a slower missile, AI is usually able to crank and confuse the missile before recommitting. 3. The third part is the AWG-9 and the way it drops/decorrelates contacts easily. Some have shared that this is a "network" issue. I have to say that I do not encounter as much de-correlation in Single-player or controlled Mission Editor environments. I am inclined to believe this hypothesis. Hence, although HB is trying to give an "accurate" Phoenix / AWG-9 experience, I feel that this endeavor has somewhat not worked out. It is not a matter of whether it is their fault or not. But I think that the DCS engine has its quirks that doesn't play well with very complicated systems modeling. A little tinge of irony there since most DCS AI fly SFM and don't seem have such complicated accurate modeling of its weapon systems. To top it off, HB's Tomcat is largely operated by Jester in the backseat - the key make-or-break mission component to the Tomcat. Jester not being able to intelligently work the radar makes it feel like I am trying to fight the Tomcat with one hand behind my back. That is of course in contrast to the murder machine, F-16 where the human-machine interface is on a totally different level. I hope HB doesn't take this the wrong way. I absolutely love the DCS Tomcat. I've spent more dollars buying F-14 related DLCs than any other module that I own. It is absolutely gorgeous and the systems (though slightly antiquated) are so intricately simulated. It is blast of a module. BUT. I have to say, I wish the AWG-9/AIM-54 weapon system could work in the envelope which some of many RIO/PILOTS have described in their accounts. Only then, we can try to emulate some of the tactics and employment they have shared and feel like we have an accurate Tomcat experience. I honestly do not care much of the competitive PVP crowds' complaints. They can disqualify the Tomcat and Phoenix from their competitions and spare everyone from some of their toxicity. The F-14A and B are pretty much out-of-era for a fair "competition" with their latest blocks of Hornets and Vipers. Only the Super Tomcat is in the right timeline to be duking it out with them. As a Tomcat fan, I am looking for an experience that correlates with the treasure trove of information and accounts that former RIO/Pilots have shared. Game Balance and how nuts and bolts specific "draggy/not draggy" the missile is, is not a priority to be honest. My 2 cts as a happy Tomcat customer.

That's the problem with the Phoenix now. It's long range teeth against got plucked, and it's terrible medium range because it accelerates way too slowly. Phoenix used to have a sweet parabolic loft shot (40 to 50), giving it plenty of energy coming down on a target. That's nerfed hard. At the 15 to 20 miles medium range medium alt shots, it's so slow that it barely makes the shot if the target cranks. The Tomcat can probably keep up with the missile if it jettisons everything because the missile will slow down so fast.

Sometimes Jester tally calls are quite delayed but the pilot has to factor this and mentally "lead" the situation. Sounds like voodoo but it's possible to do. Sometimes you might wanna fly level or initiate a climb to wait for a second callout. That way you can approximate what the bandit has done. Hopefully you can then lead your eyes out to where the bandit might go. How the bandit maneuver is entirely situational. Was it in the context of a 1 v 1 merge? Or were you jumped? That said, Jester should give us a call out when we are engaged by multiple bandits at close range. Not knowing that majorly messes up situational awareness.

Yes, they often lump counter measures (flares and chaff) as part of Electronic Counter Measures (ECM). Dumbing it down for non military people. I think part of the AIM-54A's "ECCM" ability is the AWG-9 TWS launch, which helps avoid tripping the RWR detection of an STT launch say on a Sparrow. The 54C, according to limited officially open literature have improved ECCM, believed to be HOJ.

Chillax. Watch YouTube videos and practice. Soon you'll be able to tank, at night, with wings in auto, one hand on the stick, the other fumbling the piddle pack, while telling yo mama jokes to the tanker crew.

I flip the switch to landing when tanking. Seeing the FPM in relation with the tanker helps me judge my relative position better. Especially when there are power corrections. Just works for me

In a single seat like the viper (or RIO Seat), I had control of the radar elevation knob. As a RIO if I had a high-speed DL contact within 40 miles in my scan volume, that's the first target I am going to scan in 8 Bar on a narrow azimuth, and then STT and drop back to TWS-A in for a precise elevation. I just think Jester should learn to do the same when I am a pilot. I sometime wish there was two of me, but to be honest the workload is intense on the F-14. So I totally appreciate the two-man design.

In AG mode. So I was cycling between gun and ORD. Jester was already told to select Paveways prior. Was not aware I can cycle to SW, SP/PH ...

The issue with flying higher was that Jester drops the lock a lot. Which was strange because pulse is used to pick up or grab fighters notching or flying low among clutter. Flying lower so far has better chances of sustaining a pulse STT. I don't know why this is happening.

Yes, I've been trying to engage PSTT at about 25 miles or so while getting below the target and looking up. The objective was to guide a Active Phoenix further than 10 Miles (outside the ACM submodes). Trying an alternative to a TWS launch at 20 miles so that the missile is active in the event I have to drag away from a return 120 or R77. So far, 20 mile launches do connect though the Phoenix slows A LOT. But I was not aware that the PSTT was actually not guiding the Phoenix... That was new to me.

So can Jester not flick the switch so often. My TCS repeater is already showing the visual image instead of the VDI in STT situations.

Yes I'm currently working around this problem using VAICOM Pro. Issue with this is that you need to voice command the altitude of the target. But unless Jester hooks the target, there is no accurate altitude read out, just the altitude band 0-4. With a 10000ft difference between each band e.g. Band 1 between 5000 to 15000ft, estimating the wrong altitude could still place it outside the radar scan volume if just under 40 miles +-.

I think that's precisely the problem. Jester was somehow able to override the AG mode and was calling up my Phoenixes and TID. Mode switch was still on AG in my front seat.

I am not sure whether I am using it wrong, but Pulse STT seems to be dropping lock very easily. Target was co-alt, nose-hot about 40 miles. Quite often I ask Jester to lock up the flanker, and Switch STT. Sometimes, the PD-STT lock will drop immediately when he switches to PSTT. Incidentally, when does Jester switch between modes? I hear him call out "Switching to Pulse STT" sometimes, but I don't know when he is gonna do that.

What I think is that if the missile is above Mach 1.2 or so, the rate of acceleration should be slightly increased since it has passed the transonic region. Right now, it feels that the amount of drag on the missile is constant.

I only ever get this when I ask Jester to STT a target. He does something in the back, which blanks out my TID repeater for 2 secs. 2 or 3 secs later, he will do it again. I don't see him switching radar modes or anything, but the TID goes blank. Any fix for this?

How do you get Jester to STT Datalink targets?

Very often when I'm cruising at 30,000ft, some bandits show up at 5000ft or so, say within 40 miles on datalink. Unfortunately, Jester won't look at the datalink hostile HAFU marker, and adjust the radar elevation accordingly. He just sits there scanning at 30,000ft. Would it be possible for Jester to do some form of radar elevation search, perhaps prioritising on hostile datalink targets? It could save the effort to manually tell him to adjust his elevation.